In a new study in mice, a team of researchers from UCLA, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Harvard University have uncovered a crucial component for restoring functional activity after spinal cord injury. The neuroscientists have shown that re-growing specific neurons back to their natural target regions led to recovery, while random regrowth was not effective.

Scientists regenerate neurons that restore walking in mice after paralysis from spinal cord injury::In a new study in mice, a team of researchers from UCLA, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Harvard University have uncovered a crucial component for restoring functional activity after spinal cord injury. The neuroscientists have shown that re-growing specific neurons back to their natural target regions led to recovery, while random regrowth was not effective.

  • Spliffman1@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1035·
    9 months ago

    How many mice were killed before they got one “fixed”? And did they damage their spinal cords in the first place so they could have subjects to work on? Where do you find a supply of mice paralyzed by spinal cord injury to experiment on? Just saying

          • wafflez@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            9 months ago

            Not even an applicable anaology when we’re breeding and slaughtering rats on a mass scale. It’s not the difference choosing between the life of a rat and the well-being of a human. Animal testing is generally not even applicable to humans and just results in large amounts of death and suffering. Not even to mention the grotesque method artificial insemination of rats. We have better alternatives to animal testing like in vitro, animal testing is not necessary

    • Vlixz@lemmy.worldEnglish
      171·
      9 months ago

      I genuinely don’t want to be hateful, but how do you expect stuff like this to be tested without hurting “some” animals. I’m not saying I agree with animal testing and if possible I’d rather them test it another way, but I do understand the importance of it. Without this lot’s of medications and treatments wouldn’t exist.

        • photonic_sorcerer@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          183·
          9 months ago

          In vitro cell cultures don’t have spinal cords. For stuff like this, you need the living animal. Also, fun fact, in order to aquire the cells to culture, you need to kill newborn rats.